- News, Events & Publications
- APPC welcomes prospect of satutory register for lobbyists
- UKPC Press Release - APPC reaffirms its support for UK Public Affairs Council
- APPC Position Statement – Lobbying Transparency
- APPC Position Statement - Lobbying & a Statutory Register
- APPC Membership
- UKPAC Register
- APPC Membership
- APPC Response to CLG consultation
- UKPAC register of lobbyists now open
- PRWeek Press Release - Survey of Members July 2010
- Luther Pendragon joins the APPC
- UKPAC Terms of Reference
- UKPAC Press Release: UKS Professional Lobyists Commit to Independent Regualtion
- UKPAC Role Desciptions
- APPC response to UK PAC Issues Paper
- APPC Response to OECD Paper
- Public Affairs Council
- APPC Chairman responds to the Government response to the PASC report on lobbying
- Responses to consultation by Public Affairs Council Working Party published
- APPC AGM on 11 May 2009
- Public Affairs Council Working Party - News Release 7 May 2009
- APPC Management Committee statement on the PACS report
- Bellenden Public Affairs joins APPC
- Five more companies joins APPC
- APPC AGM on 12 May 2008
- APPC Annual Report 2008
- APPC Chair's Newsletter September 2008
- Cavendish Communications joins APPC
- Three more companies join APPC
- Tetra Strategy joins APPC
- Burson Marstellar & Edelman
- APPC holds training seminar in Wales
- APPC becomes 50!
- APPC Chair statement on Parliamentary passes
- John Grogan MP's EDM
- Munro & Forster joins APPC
- APPC AGM on 14 May
- APPC Annual Report 2007
- Four new APPC members
- Atherton Associates & JMC Partners join APPC
- APPC welcomes two new members
- APPC amends Code of Conduct
- Open Road joins APPC
- APPC membership grows again
- APPC welcomes Sir Philip Mawer
- New record membership
- Response to Times article
- Standards & Privileges Committee Report on APGs
- Response to EU lobbying paper
- Membership at new high
- APPC submission to inquiry into All Party Groups
- Code of conduct
You are here:
APPC Chair statement on Parliamentary passes
The Chair of the APPC, Gill Morris, has made a statement in response to media inquiries about the holding of Parliamentary passes by former MPs and MPs' spouses who are political consultants.
"The APPC Code does not allow its members to have passes conferring entitlement to access to parliamentary or public offices. There are two exceptions: where the institution is a client and requires the consultant to hold a pass; and where the consultant holds a pass as a spouse of a member or as a former member of the relevant institution. In the latter case, Parliamentary rules permit spouses and former Parliamentarians to possess a pass."
"Our rules are quite clear that if you are a political consultant and either a former Parliamentarian or Spouse of a sitting member you are not permitted to use your pass for anything other than personal commitments. Our rules also require consultants to keep strictly separate from their duties and activities as political consultants any personal activity or involvement on behalf of a political party."
"So our rules ensure you can pursue a career as a political consultant and maintain your personal commitments if you are either married to a Parliamentarian and/or are a former Member of Parliament. Our focus is to ensure that anyone with a pass must have it for the purpose stated and for a legitimate reason. It is completely inappropriate to abuse the rules of the House. Transparency and respect for Parliamentary rules guide our Code. The APPC regularly reviews its Code in the face of comments and suggestions made by members and others. We would be perfectly happy to review it again in the light of any new comments or suggestions made.”